Reaction to Bayern v Wolfsburg

Van Gaal: I’m delighted with the three points

Created on 20-08-2010 at 00:00 AM

Bayern left it late to seal a narrow but ultimately deserved victory over 2009 title winners Wolfsburg, as the champions got off to a winning start in their quest to retain the Bundesliga crown. “I’m delighted with a victory and three points, although it was very hard work,” said boss Louis van Gaal after the clash at the Allianz Arena. His counterpart Steve McClaren was downcast: “We didn’t deserve that to happen.”

Reaction to Bayern v Wolfsburg

Louis van Gaal: “I’m delighted with a victory and three points, although it was very hard work. I think every single one of our passes went astray in the first 15 minutes after half-time. I think the players were a little too sure of victory when they came out of the dressing room. But we played with a lot of flair again after that and we got the goal right at the end, a very good goal too."

Miroslav Klose: We were totally dominant and played well in the first half. We totally lost the plot at the start of the second half and just couldn’t get going. We kept giving away possession, and our positioning wasn’t as good as it was before. Wolfsburg made chances and then scored the equaliser. But the important thing was that we bounced back and went on to win the game. However, we have a lot of hard work still to do.“

Steve McClaren (Wolfsburg coach): “That goal’s really hit us hard. We didn’t deserve that to happen. We could even have won the game, but you’ve got to keep your concentration for 92 or 93 minutes. We didn’t play well at all in the first half. It was better in the second half, but unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough."

Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg captain): We never showed up for the first half. We were far too passive, we never got stuck in. We’d planned a much more attacking game. In the second half, everyone saw what Zwetschge [Misimovic] means to us as a player.”